Overview

Clinical psychologist Liz Cooper doesn't believe in ghosts. But when her best friend finds a tarot card tacked to her front door-and is then accused of murder-Liz will have to find a way to embrace the occult if she wants to outwit the real killer...

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Overview

Clinical psychologist Liz Cooper doesn't believe in ghosts. But when her best friend finds a tarot card tacked to her front door-and is then accused of murder-Liz will have to find a way to embrace the occult if she wants to outwit the real killer...

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

Let Staab's debut cast a spell over your readers with its spirited pace, likable heroine, and Los Angeles backdrop. This is light, romantic suspense featuring first-person narration by psychologist Liz Cooper, whose best friend, Robin, is being stalked and hexed by an unknown assailant. But then the girlfriend of Robin's boss is murdered, and Robin becomes the prime suspect based on an argument witnessed by many. Garnering the assistance of a handsome, single professor who knows all things occult, BFF Liz digs in. When the curses increase and spells need to be broken, count on her to see it through. Mix in a mother who reads tarot, a brother who is with the LAPD, and a steady patter of classic film references. VERDICT Staab sets her fairly sophisticated blend of the occult in a flashy West Coast locale for great escape reading. Fans of Juliet Blackwell and Rebecca M. Hale will get a kick out of this one.

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Not Recommended

There are holes in this not particularly scary story that you could drive a horse-drawn carriage through. It is incredibly contrived and doesn't offer one single twist that a careful reader can't see coming 20 pages ahead. The only thing frightening about this book was how slow and boring it was. The plot was dull, the characters were flat. I just wanted it to end.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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an entertaining, fast-paced twisting amateur sleuth

Clinical psychologist Liz Cooper is a rational person who scoffs at the supernatural. On the other hand, her friend Robin believes in voodoo and other paranormal phenomena; so not surprisingly she becomes upset when someone places threatening tarot cards on her front door; these were the cards laid out when read by Liz's mother. Needing to better understand the supernatural and what the cards mean, her brother introduces her to religious teacher Nick Garfield.

After tracing the cards to a charlatan thanks to Nick's friend, they are invited to a concert act where they will be able to go back stage due to Robin's boss. There they meet the boss's girlfriend Sophie, a powerful person who gets into a fight with Robin who refuses to allow her into the office to see her boyfriend. As Nick and Liz walk to their car, they find a dead Sophie in her vehicle. The police charge Robin with murder. Convinced her friend is innocent, Liz with Nick's help investigate but to succeed the logical shrink needs to embrace the supernatural.

Ignoring why the professor and the psychologist investigate rather than hire a professional to make inquiries, fans will enjoy accompanying the charming lead pair as they explore the supernatural. In her debut, Michelle Staab provides an entertaining, fast-paced twisting amateur sleuth. The author casts a spell on sub-genre readers with this engaging glimpse into Who Do, Voodoo?

Harriet Klausner

2 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

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RobertDowns

Posted February 15, 2013

I don¿t know if Rochelle Staab managed to get every detail of ho

I don’t know if Rochelle Staab managed to get every detail of hoodoo and voodoo correct, and if she didn’t, I’m certainly not going to hold it against her. For me it’s all about the entertainment, and this is one entertaining read that managed to capture my attention from the first page to the last. It was a fun, light read with some darker elements floating throughout the tale.

The voodoo, or hoodoo, or whatever filled these pages added a nice element to a mystery that might have been a tad more pedestrian without it. So I welcomed the spiritual elements that graced the pages of WHO DO, VOODOO? And I’ll be curious to see what develops between Liz Cooper and Nick Garfield.

As for the rest of the characters, Vivian Gordon, Liz’s mom, is one quirky woman. Constantly referring to Liz’s brother, as your brother Dave, was pretty amusing in my humble opinion. It told me this woman wasn’t exactly standing on solid ground, and she might have been hovering over quicksand.

If you’re looking for sophisticated writing, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you’re looking for pure, unadulterated entertainment, then I’d say this debut novel definitely fits the bill.

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Anonymous

Posted February 27, 2014

Because of the fact this was about Voodoo, I was disappointed t

Because of the fact this was about Voodoo, I was disappointed the setting wasn't in New Orleans. Still enjoyed it though and will continue this series.

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InspirationalAngel

Posted January 31, 2013

Title: Who Do Voodoo
Author: Rochelle Staab
(Synopsis)

Title: Who Do VoodooAuthor: Rochelle Staab

(Synopsis) Liz Cooper, a clinical phsychologist, is a practical and down to earth type who doesn't believe in the paranprmal. Nick Garfield, her brother's best friend is a college professor of religion, who is also an expert in the practices and rituals of Voodoo. They begin to investigate when widowed Robin Bloom is considered the number one suspect in the murder of the woman she believed was tormenting her with Voodoo symbols and tarot cards nailed to her front door. The same cards dealt to her husband the night before he died foretelling of his death. She has a witnessed confrontation with the late Sophie Darcantel shortly before Sophie is found dead in the parking lot following an after concert party. The evidence stacks up against Robin as Liz and Nick delve into Voodoo culture to prove her innocent and find the real killer as the body count begins to rise.

I did not expect to like this book, but was surprised to find myself enthralled with the story. I avidly followed Liz and Nick as they tracked the different clues and watched the attraction between them grow. An attraction , frowned on by Liz's cop brother who is afraid of losing his best friend if it doesn't work out and her mother who wants to reunite Liz with her cheating, alcoholic ex-husband. I was afraid it might rely too much on the Voodoo angle, but although it was a thread throughout the book it did not dominate the storyline. Thank you Ms. Staab for this intriguing story. It flows easily and quickly and holds your interest from begining to end.

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cherokee396

Posted July 7, 2012

Highly Recommend

I loved this book! I bought it just looking for something new and interesting and it was all that and more. The characters were well created and made you feel for them.
Definitely worth looking into and waiting for more.

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debbieaheaton

Posted April 6, 2012

Excellent--must read!
In Staab’s mystery novel, Liz Cooper

Excellent--must read!In Staab&rsquo;s mystery novel, Liz Cooper&rsquo;s friend Robin discovers a tarot card tacked to her door. Liz writes it off as insignificant but Robin sees it as a bad omen since her husband died after drawing a similar card in a reading prior to his car accident. As more cards appear with threats attached, Liz realizes someone may be out to get her friend. Turning to her brother&rsquo;s best friend, occult expert Nick Garfield, Nick leads her into the voodoo community in search of a deck of cards that just might hold a clue to what is happening. Another murder happens and Robin becomes the prime suspect. Fighting an attraction to Nick, Liz is determined to clear her friend&rsquo;s name and to do that she must unravel otherworldly secrets and seek help from beyond.

This is a wonderfully charming, captivatingly clever and compelling mystery from start to finish. The initial book in the A Mind Over Murder Mystery series will leave readers anxiously waiting for the next installment.

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Suspensemag

Posted February 15, 2012

Nicely Developed Characters

Liz Cooper is your typical, no nonsense clinical psychologist. Her mother though, is another matter, for she is a tarot card reader and occultist and Liz has been trying to pull her head from the clouds for years. Liz’s dear friend Robin is a successful associate with a PR company and deals with the idiosyncrasies of the rich and famous every day.
After Mrs. Cooper did a tarot reading for Robin’s husband and he died the day after—Robin has been very superstitious. The book starts off with the sudden appearance of the cards that were part of that fatal spread are ending up on her porch…stuck to her door and Robin is living in fear.
Liz is smart and realistic. She is very curious and protective of her friend. So when more cards keep appearing and the police are not overly enthusiastic about mysterious tarot cards, Mrs. Cooper suggests that Liz speak to Dr. Nick Garfield occult expert and professor at the local university. He is the consultant contacted when the police have questions beyond the normal. Nick is also the old college roommate of Liz’s brother who is currently a police officer.
When the girlfriend of Robin’s boss ends up dead and everyone remembers hearing a huge public argument between Robin and the girlfriend, the finger of justice ends up pointing at Robin. Liz’s protective nature and Nick’s occult knowledge kick in to save the day.
This is a wonderful mystery and it keeps you guessing until the very end. The characters are developed nicely and I definitely want to see them again. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great mystery with a paranormal bent.
Reviewed by Kestrel T. Andersen for Suspense Magazine

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DAinNY1

Posted December 1, 2011

A Great Debut

What a great debut! Tarot cards, spells, mystical illusions are what non-believer Liz faces when her best friend is accused of murder. Working with an occult expert, Liz determination to clear her friend exposes her to an unknown entity. This well-crafted mystery was a fun read that snagged my attention from the first sentence to the delightful end. The page-turning and could not put down book kept me engaged in the mystery as it unraveled to reveal the killer. The burgeoning friendship and banter between Liz and Nick was entertaining and I can¿t wait to see how their relationship progresses. The supporting casts are lovable and the snippets of movie dialogues woven into the story were enjoyable. The cards have been played for a long and terrific future for this charming and appealing entry into the cozy mystery genre.

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YvonneReviews

Posted November 8, 2011

Excellent Cozy Mystery!

Psychologist Liz Cooper¿s best friend is being terrorized by tarot cards! Liz thinks it¿s a sick prank but her friend, Robin, is taking it very seriously. After all, those same tarot cards predicted her husband¿s untimely death. There¿s no way Robin wasn¿t going to be worried, she has a daughter to think about. Liz looks to her older brother¿s best friend, Nick, for help. He¿s very familiar with the occult and the supernatural community. Together, they desperately try to find the answers to help Robin. When a dead body turns up and Robin is the prime suspect, they know they have to step up their efforts and clear Robin¿s name once and for all. I can¿t believe this is the first book by this author. It¿s amazing, to say the least! I loved every minute of it. I felt as if I was on an emotional ride with the heroine. I was desperately trying to figure out who was behind the murder and I was wrong (I¿m usually right about these things ¿ LOL). It¿s a fast-paced, murder mystery that will definitely leave readers wanting more. The characters were realistically portrayed and characters you could be sympathetic towards (or hate, depending on the character). I never wanted to put this book down and was very sad the story was over. This is cozy mystery to perfection! FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

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